Ash tray



Dec. 3, l. K. R. RlcHARDS ASH TRAY Filed June 7, 1959 Patented Dec. 3,l1940 UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

ASH TRAY Kenneth R; Richards,`Maso'n City, Wash. Application June 7,1939 serial Na. 277,935

7 olaim.

'l'his invention relates `to an ash tray and it is one object of theinvention to provide an ash tray including a casing having a receptacletherein and shutters for closing an opening in the top of the casinghaving actuating means for moving the shutters to closed position Whenthe ash tray is lifted from a support such as a table or the like, oraccidentally turned over or knocked from the table. It will thus be seenthat if the vash tray is accidentally turned over or knocked from atable, the shutters will be closed and ashes and cigarette stumpsprevented from spilling out of the same.

Another object of the invention is to provide an ash tray of the selfclosing type wherein the means for actuating the shutters includes adisk disposed under the bottom of the casing where it will be moved toopen the shutters by engagement with the top of the table when the ashtray is set upon the table. i Another object of the invention is toprovide the ash tray with supports for cigars or cigarettes, thesupports being disposed at ends of the opening in the casing and somounted upon the inner receptacle at ends of the upper opening thereinthat, while they are normally in a raised position for use, they will beswung downwardly into the casing and deposit cigarettes or cigarsresting on them into the inner receptaclev when the shutters are movingtoward closed position.

Another object of the invention is to provide an automatically closingash tray which is of neat appearance, efiicient in operation, and notliable to. get out of order.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

` Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the improved ash tray.

Fig.2 is a Vertical sectional view taken longitudinally through the ashtray. i

F'ig.` 3`` is a sectional view taken transversely through the ash trayon the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the manner inwhich the supports for cigars and cigarettes are pivotally mounted forswnging movement into and out of position for use.

`.'I'he casing I of this ash tray is formed of sheet metal or othersuitable material and is semi-circular when viewed in side elevation.The bottom 2 is flat sothat the tray will rest firmly` on a table orother support, and upon referring to Fig. 2, it will be seen that thebottom is formed with a center opening 3 surrounded b-y an upwardlyoffset abutment ledge or fiange 4. At its top, the

casing is formed with an opening 5 through which ashes and stumps ofcigarettes and cigars are to dropped into the inner receptacle'fidisposed within the casing and firmly supported therein Vby brackets 1which project from opposite sides of the receptacle and are secured toside walls of i the casing by screws 8. The top wall sections 9 of thecasing are arcuate longitudinally, as are also the top wall Sections IE)of the inner receptacle which are spaced from each other to provide anopening ll through which the ashes and stumps of cigars and cigarettesdrop into the receptacle.

In order to prevent contents of the inner receptacle from .spilling outlof the ash tray in `case the ash tray is accidentally turned over orknocked from the sup-port on which it rests, there have been providedshutters |2 which are arcuate longitudinally and are mounted to operatein the space between the arcuate'upper wall Sections 9 and Ill of thecasing and receptacle. These shutters are carried by arms 13 extendingfrom their side edges and pivotally mounted for `swinging movement byscrews |4 carried by the side walls of the casing and constituting pivotpins for the arms. The arms of each shutter are connected by a cross rodor bar |5 and these rods pass through the sleeves 16 at upper ends oflinks l'l, the lower ends of which are pivoted to lugs IB extendingupwardly from a disk |,9. This disk is of such diameter and thicknessthat it will fit into the recess defined by the upwardly offset ,fiange'4 with its under face flush with the under face of the bottom 2 of thecasing.. Therefore, the casing may rest fiat on a table and since thedisk will be held in its raised or retracted position, the shutters willbe held open. Pins 20 which guide movement of the disk into and out ofthe retracted position within the center seat of the bottom 2, extendupwardly from the disk and are slidably received in sleeves 2| and inorder to urge the Vpins downwardly there have been provided springs 22.The springs arezcompressed and held under tension when the disk ismovedl upwardly into its seat, but if the ash tray is turned over,lifted from the table, or accidentally knocked from its support, thesprings expand and force the pins 20 and the disk |9 downwardly. As thedisk moves downwardly it exerts pull on the links l'l and as these linksare drawn downwardly they exert pull on the cross rods 15 to swing thearms |3 about their pivots and move the shutters |2 to closed position.The contents of the inner receptacle will thus be confined in the casingand prevented from spilling out of the same.

When the tray is to be emptied, it is lifted from its support and afterbeing carried to trash box or other place of disposal, it is turnedupside down and pressure applied to the disk to force it to itsretracted position and move the shutters to open position, permittingthe contents ofthe inner receptacle to pass out through the openings Iland 5 of the receptacle and casing.

I-Iolders 23 upon which cigarettes and cigars are to be placed areprovided at opposite ends of the opening 5 in the top of the casing andthese holders are provided with depending shanks 24. The holders areformed of resilient sheet metal sol that they will have grippingengagement with cigars or cigarettes placed thereon but the shanks areformed of stiff metal. The shanks are pivotally mounted between bearingbrackets 25 by pins 26 and lower` portions of the shanks are bent toform arms 21. Springs 23, which are coiled about the pins, have theirarms bent to form hooks 29 and 30 for engaging the shanks 24 andyadjacent bearing brackets 25. These Springs tend to swing the shanksupwardly and maintain the shanks and their arms 21 in position forabutting engagement with ends of the top sections 9 and E0 of the casingand inner receptacle which limit movement of the shanks under influenceof the springs and normally maintain the holders 23 in a horizontalposition above ends of the opening 5 of the casing. When, however, theshutters are swung toward a closed position, they exert pushing force onthe arms 21 and the shanks will be swung about the pins 26 to move theholders into the casing and the upper portion of the receptacle Wherethey Will be out of the path in which the shutters move and notinterfere with closing of the shutters. When the shutters are returnedto open vposition the springs swing the holders back to elevatedposition over the casing for use.

I-Iaving thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. An ash tray comprising a casing having an opening in its top, aninner receptacle mounted in said casing and having an opening in its topunder the opening of the casing, shutters operating in space between topwalls of the casing and receptacle, arms extending from said shuttersbetween side walls of the casing and receptacle and pivoted in spacedrelation to their lower ends, cross rods oonnecting lower ends ofCompanion arms, links having their upper ends loosely engaged about saidcross rods, a disk under the bottom of said casing, lugs extendingupwardly from said disk into said casing and pivoted to lower ends ofsaid links, tubes depending from the bottom Vof said receptacle, pinsrising from said disk and slidably engaged in said tubes, and springs insaid tubes urging the pins downwardly to move the disk away from thebottom of the casing and exert'pull on said links to swing the armsabout their pivots and move the shutters into closing relation to theopening of the casing.

2. An ash tray comprising a casing having an arcuate top wall forrnedwith an opening intermediate its length, the bottom of the casing beingformed with an opening at its center and about the center opening beingoffset upwardly to form a seat in the under face of the bottom and anabutment ange surrounding the opening in the bottom, a receptaclemounted in said casing in spaced relation to side walls of the casingand having an arcuate top wall formed with an opening under the openingin the top wall of the casing, arcuate shutters Operating. in spacebetween top walls of the casing and the receptacle, arms extending fromsaid shutters between side walls of the casing and receptacle andpivotally mounted in spaced relation to their lower ends with the armsof one shutter extending in crossed relation to arms of the othershutter, a disk fitting into the seat of the bottom of the casingagainst said flange when in a retracted position and being movabledownwardly out of the seat, lugs extending upwardly from said disk andpassing through the opening in the bottom of the casing when the disk isin its retracted position, rods connecting Companion arms, and linksconnecting said lugs with said rods for exerting down- Ward pull on therods and moving the shutters to closed position when the disk moves outof its seat.

3. An ash tray comprising a casing having an opening in its top, areceptacle mounted in said casing and having an opening in its top underthe top opening of the casing, shutters for closing the top opening ofsaid casing Operating in space between the receptacle and the casing,arms pivotally mounted and carrying said shutters, a disk under thebottom of said casing and movable from a retracted position against thebottom of the casing to a lowered position, and means connecting saiddisk with said arms for swinging the arms about their pivots and movingthe shutters to closed position When the disk moves downwardly away fromthe bottom of the casing.

4. An ash tray comprising a casing having an opening in its top, areceptacle mounted in said casing and having an opening in its top underthe top opening of the casing, closure means for the top opening of thecasing having mounting arms pivoted for swinging movement to move theclosure means into and out of closed position, and actuating means forsaid arms normally holding the closure means in closed position andbeing disposed in position for engaging a support when the casing is setthereon and adapted to be moved by the support for moving the closuremeans to open position.

5. An ash tray comprising a casing having an opening in its top, areceptacle mounted in said casing and having an opening in its top underthe top opening of the casing, closure means for the top opening of thecasing movable into and out of closed position, and actuating meansdisposed in position for engagement with a support when the casing isset thereon and being adapted to move the closure means to open positionwhen the casing is set on the support.

6. An ash tray comprising a casing having an opening in its top, areceptacle mounted in said casing and having an opening in its top underthe top opening of the casing, shutters for closing the top opening ofsaid casing Operating in space between the receptacle and casing, meansfor moving said shutters into and out of closed position including anOperating member dispose'd in poi sition for engagement with a supportfor moving the shutters to open position when the casing is set, uponthe support, and holders movably carried by said receptacle and normallyprojecting upwardly through the top opening of the casing, said holdershaving portions extending in the path of movement of the shutters forengagement thereby to move the holders downwardly into retractedposition through the top openings of the casing and receptacle when theshutters are moved to closed position. v

7. An ash tray comprising a casing having an opening in its top, areceptacle mounted in said casing and having a top opening under the topopening of said casing, shutters for closing the top opening of saidcasing movable through space between tops of the receptacle and'thecasing into and out of position to close thetop opening of said casing,means for moving said. shutters into and out of closed positionincluding an Operating member disposed in position for engagement with asupport for moving the shutters to open position when the casing is setupon the support, bearing brackets carried by said receptacle at ends ofthe top opening thereof, holders, shanks for said holders pivoted tosaid brackets and having their` lower portions bent to form reverselyextending abutment arms, and Springs for swinging the shanks upwardlyand disposing said holders above ends of the opening of the casing inposition for use, upward movement of the holders being limted byengagement of the shanksl and their arms with top walls of the casingand the receptacle at ends of their top openings, and said shutters whenmoved to closed position having engagement with the arms and shanks toswing the holders downwardly through the top openings to 10 retractedposition under the shutters.

KENNETH R. RICHARDS.

